Eighteen-year-olds will soon be permitted to drive trains, the government has said, following concerns about the number of drivers approaching retirement.
Legislation to lower the minimum age limit from 20 to 18 will be brought before parliament this week, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced, with the change due to come into effect from 30 June.
The move comes amid fears over a potential upcoming driver shortfall, with a quarter of train drivers expected to reach retirement age by 2030, the DfT said.
Fewer than one in 25 drivers are under the age of 30, while only one in nine train drivers are women.
The proportion of drivers that have an ethnic minority background is less than 13%.
The DfT said the change will “level the playing field across the transport sector”, with 18-year-olds in Britain already allowed to drive Tube trains and buses.
It will bring the UK in line with other countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Australia, the DfT added.
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Move will ‘secure future’ of railways
Lord Hendy, the rail minister, called the move “a significant step forward for young people across Britain”.
He said: “This change will open doors for those wanting to move straight into the workplace, giving a younger generation the chance to build rewarding careers in the railway, whether that’s in freight or passenger services.
“It’s a move that will help secure the future of Great British Railways and the wider rail industry, and ensure the workforce reflects the energy, talent, and ambition of the next generation.”
Work and Pensions secretary Pat McFadden said the change will help “open up new routes into skilled, well-paid careers”.
Dave Calfe, general secretary of train drivers’ union, ASLEF, said the decision will increase the diversity of train drivers and enable the rail industry to “recruit the large numbers of train drivers required over the next five years”.
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The change comes as the government looks to increase placement and apprenticeship opportunities for young people, with the latest figures showing nearly a million people aged 16-24 are currently unemployed or economically inactive in the UK.
As part of the plans, the Department for Education has said 13,000 new placements will become available as construction firms working on school building projects will be required to show that they are providing opportunities for apprentices and T Level students.
